Page 34 of Tempted

“Like hell you are. We’ve been through this.” I argue.

“Malcolm, I’ve driven in a storm before. It’s no big deal.”

“Aye, well, you’re not doing it on my watch. Forget it. If you need to get work done, I can loan you a laptop, but until this storm passes, you’re staying put. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Just who do you think you are?” She barks suddenly, surprising me.

I look her up and down, annoyed. “I could say the same thing to you, lass. Who do you think you are, coming into the shower with me like that, huh?”

Her voice raises higher than mine. “You didn’t seem to mind!”

“I have a pulse, don’t I? When a naked woman welcomes herself in the shower of a man who’s about to blow his wad, what was I supposed to do?!”

“You could have told me to get out! You shouted ‘fuck’ when you saw me!”

“That’s because you startled me! But then you traipsed into my shower, stark naked, dammit! Don’t be daft! I’d have to be dead to turn that down! You had a lot of nerve!”

“I thought your house was going to burn down! Or that you had an intruder! How the fuck was I supposed to know what you were doing in there!” Her chest heaves as does mine. We’re both thoroughly pissed off, despite the mutual release moments ago.

“So, you figured you’d just take off your clothes and fuck me?! Now look what you’ve done! This is a fucking mess and now we’re stuck in this godforsaken house together until this goddamn storm passes!” I’m so angry, spittle is flying out of my mouth.

“What is the matter with you, Malcolm? You got laid! Most men would be happy! But, no! You’re whining about it! I don’t get you!”

I feel my jaw muscles clench. I lower my voice, almost to a guttural growl. “Because that’s all you wanted, Stephanie. That’s all you wanted all along.”

“What do you mean that’sallI wanted?” She sneers.

“Why were you so adamant to know whether or not I fucked Clare, hm?”

That hit a nerve. She swallows and retracts her claws slightly, and then she says something that I would never expect her to say.

Chapter 12

Steph

For the first time in my life, I can’t think of a good cover story, and he sees it as plain as day. Normally, I wouldn’t have to have one for a man. Normally, he’d be out the door by now, or I would, and neither of us would be arguing over who got whom into bed. It wouldn’t matter. “I just...I had to know.”

“Why?” He asks again, as though deaf to my response.

“Malcolm, I don’t know. That’s what I’m telling you. I was losing sleep over it. And the crazy part is that now I don’t really give a shit. I’m not even sure what that means.”

“It means you’re nuts.” He snarls, forcing a hand through his hair in exasperation.

It suddenly occurs to me that maybe a small part of meisinsane. It’s easier to believe that than the latter, and that is, that I’m falling for Malcolm. I don’t want to fall in love. I’ve never wanted to need someone. But I needed to know what happened at that lunch, between him and Clare. It’s as stupid as hell, and if I were him, I would have told me to go fuck myself and mind my own business, but all the same, he told me what happened. “Why did you tell me the truth, Malcolm? Why didn’t you tell me to fuckoff when I asked?”

He raises a hand, voice still laced with ire and frustration. “Because you risked your fucking life to come all the way over here in a storm to find out!”

“And if there wasn’t a storm?” I pause for emphasis. “Would you still have told me?”

He’s frustrated. “I don’t fucking know! Maybe!”

I feel like we’re getting somewhere. “And you consented to sex because you’re attracted to me or was it just for convenience?”

“We’ve already established that I’m attracted to you, Stephanie. Why the fuck do you think that I was jerking off in the first place.” He admits it but he’s none too pleased.

“What exactly turned you on, anyway?” I ask, but the words don’t match the cutting tone.

“Don’t be daft, Steph. You yourself apologized for your pants falling down.”

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